


Loyalty

by Sylvennia



Series: it's hard to be the one that survives [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, CC-2224 | Cody Needs a Hug, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Immortality, M/M, No Beta We Die Like Clones, Old Guard AU, Temporary Character Death, Torture, lots of temporary character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:15:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27405625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvennia/pseuds/Sylvennia
Summary: aka Alpha-17 and Cody bond over trauma that looks and sounds oddly like General Kenobi.Takes place after Disclosure.
Relationships: Alpha-17 & CC-2224 | Cody, CC-2224 | Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, pre CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: it's hard to be the one that survives [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2001676
Comments: 12
Kudos: 284





	Loyalty

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all you lovely readers! Welcome back to the dumpster fire!
> 
> I totally was not expecting the reception that the last one got, so uh, have some more? I don't have a schedule for updating, these just kind of get written as brain juices permit. Hope you enjoy your stay!
> 
> And as always, thanks to Emma and Nelba for putting up with me! Love y'all <3 <3

They were back on Kamino for a brief resupply. Thankfully, casualties had been low (though never low enough) and the Kaminoans had reportedly developed new equipment that needed to be tested. Commander Colt and Alpha-17 had greeted them on the landing pad, rain pelting their armor relentlessly as they stood in parade rest.

Colt promptly dragged Cody off with his general’s blessing, citing a need to ‘exchange information’ (read: gossip), snapping a quick salute before they left. Alpha-17 rolled his eyes at Cody’s abduction (not that they could see it, given the helmet, but it happened frequently enough), falling in next to his general as if it was second nature, guarding his off-hand as soon as it was exposed. His general leaned into it too, subconsciously. Interesting. He filed that away to be asked later.

_“Sir, what did you do to earn Alpha-17’s respect? It’s very… unusual of the Alpha-class to act like that.”_

_“Like what?”_

_“Like—” He didn’t know what he was doing with his hands but waved them regardless. “Like a bodyguard? I’ve only seen Seventeen that devoted to his pudding.”_

_His general grinned. “Oh, I think Alpha only does it so I’ll go away faster.” He chuckled at Cody’s disapproving look. “He seems to hope that if I stay out of trouble, we’ll finish the mission earlier,” he said, pausing. “And Force knows Alpha gets a headache the moment a Jedi is on the same planet as him. Efficiency is always appreciated.”_

_Cody sighed. “If you say so, sir.”_

_“I do.”_

Alpha-17 found him early the next day, deep in debate with Colt about the effective range of the new pulse grenades. “No, I did not approve the bouncy mods that Torrent made, I do not approve anything that Torrent—"

“Kote,” he interrupted. Cody turned from his conversation.

“Hi Seventeen,” he greeted cheekily.

He could see the underlying strain behind Cody’s eyes, filled with stress and worry. That was never a good sign.

“Not now, Kote. We need to talk.”

_Alpha-17 heard a wet gurgle, then a dying wheeze, water droplets hitting a stone floor in asynchronous beat. Where was—right. Ventress. Jabiim. Captured. He tested his restraints subtly, keeping his eyes screwed shut. No give. Where was that damned fool of a Jedi? A sharp inhale rung in the room, punctuated by a gleeful cackle. He peeled his eyes open._

_“Looks like your little clone is awake, darling,” she cooed, flicking blood—the general’s blood—off of her dagger, twirling it with amusement._

_“He’s not my little clone, my dear,” he wheezed, sounding breathless. “He’s his own person who was unfortunate enough to get assigned to me. We drew lots, you see.”_

_“Well,” she hummed. “He has enough luck to see the end of the show.” She buried the dagger in Kenobi’s heart, a cruel smile lighting up her face as he gasped softly, slumping over._

_“You bitch,” he snarled, lunging at her as far as his chains would allow, straining against the binders._

_“What language,” Ventress chided, pulling the blade out and wiping it on a dark crimson rag, sheathing it at her side. She dropped the cloth at Kenobi’s feet, landing with a sickening splatter. “Such a shame that I’m required elsewhere. Good day.”_

_She left with a playful bounce in her step._

“Sit,” he ordered, herding Cody into his utilitarian room. He locked the door, earning him a look from the cadet he used to mentor. “You know. About the general.”

He watched as Cody’s face went carefully blank, considering his response. “About what, sir?” 

He crossed his arms. “Kenobi cleared me to talk with you about it.” To check in. “So talk to me, trooper.”

_Alpha-17 sighed. “Talk to me, cadet.” CC-2224 stood in front of him, small but stubborn, trying valiantly to hide his imminent tears. The expressions he was making would be humorous under difference circumstances, but Seventeen didn’t feel like getting a fist to the face that night if he snickered inappropriately._

_“Anytime now. Unless you want to do this with an audience.” CC-2224 scowled, lip quivering._

_He crossed his arms defensively, a tiny mirror of him. Kriff it. He snorted. It wasn’t as intimidating on a half-pint. “Who has your tunics in a twist?”_

_The cadet sniffled, attempting a last stand. Seventeen knew he would break. He always did. His first tears fell silently._

“There’s nothing to discuss, Seventeen.” Always stubborn, this one. Alpha-17 took a seat in front of him. He knows stubborn.

He knows how to break stubborn.

“One hundred and sixty-two.” He waited, looking at Cody until his stare was met. “I. Watched. Him. Die. 162 times.” He took in Cody’s face, quickly filling with dread. “We had been captured by Ventress. She wanted vengeance.”

Sometimes it took a rougher approach to make him talk. Alpha-17 had no problems with that. He bared his teeth in a predatory smile.

“So, Kote. How does it feel to have failed your general?”

_Alpha-17 slid down the wall, staring in horror at the general’s body. What was her motive? He couldn’t make sense of it. If she wanted a hostage, she just killed the valuable one. He had no illusions about the general’s comment on their worth, neither the Jedi nor the GAR would expend resources to recover a mere clone, even if he was an Alpha-class ARC trooper._

_Kenobi wheezed. No. He was sure the general had been dead._

_“General? General Kenobi. Are you with me, sir?” He demanded._

_“Just…” His voice wavered. “One moment. Please.” He let out a shaky breath, hands curling into fists, bracing himself on the chair he was tied to. “I’m sorry you had to witness that. It was deeply… unpleasant.”_

_He snorted. “Unpleasant. You Jedi sure have a way with your words.”_

_“We are peacekeepers, Alpha. Words come first.” Kenobi slowly straightened, giving Alpha-17 a good look at his condition. A fresh wave of repulsion washed over him. His robes were littered with stab marks, obvious copies of the last one Ventress had given him. He didn’t care what Kenobi or the Republic wanted, he was going to murder her the moment they were freed. If it was the last thing he did._

_“Sir,” he grunted. “How the kark are you alive.”_

_It was Kenobi’s turn to chuckle. “Can’t wait to get rid of me, Alpha?”_

_He grumbled in response._

Cody threw the first punch, vicious and feral and unforgiving. “How _dare_ you,” he snarled, lunging for him furiously. Even as rattled as he was, Cody was still a deadly fighter, matching him toe-to-toe. Just as Alpha-17 had trained him. ‘The CC-class is a step below the Alpha-class’, every Kaminoan scientist had told him. The ones who had bothered to respond, anyways. Banthashit. He’d love to pit Cody against Seventy-seven, see how he likes getting kicked around the mat by a CC.

“Come on, _Kote_ ,” he taunted. “Show me how you protected your general.”

“You. Failed. Him. Too,” Cody grunted, attacking with renewed fervor.

“I know.” Alpha-17 let him take the offensive, leading him around the room. He hissed as a well-placed hit landed, splitting his lip. Cody wasn’t tiring by any means—all the clones had more stamina than that—but his strikes were becoming sloppy in his anger. He’d definitely be feeling this tomorrow.

Alpha-17 took the opportunity when Cody made an egregious mistake, catching his jab and swinging them around. He wrenched his arm back, slamming him into the wall in a headlock. Cody growled, careless of his shoulder as he attempted to dislodge him. “I know, Kote,” he repeated softly, breathing heavily from the exertion. He tightened his grip to keep him still. “Talk to me.”

Cody made a last-ditch struggle, straining against the hold, but he could see the dwindling effort. Alpha-17 waited. Slowly, Cody relaxed.

_Ventress had finally left for that rotation, leaving Kenobi slumped over once again. She was getting more and more creative the longer they were there but loved to fall back to the dagger sheathed on her hip. He still felt fear every time the Jedi stayed still for too long, breathing air permeated with a metallic tang, listening for quiet breaths. Kenobi stirred._

_“Sir?” He called._

_“…Alpha.” He wheezed a bit, trying to get his lungs under control. “Did she… hurt you?”_

_“No sir.” He’d been wondering about that. He’d been wondering about a lot of things, actually._

_“Good.” Kenobi sounded too satisfied for someone who’d been stabbed. Again._

_Answers would be nice. “Can I ask you something, sir?”_

_Kenobi snorted, straightening in his chair and stretching as much as he could. “I think you’ve seen too much for me to say no.”_

_He would take it. “Whatever it is that you do… is there a limit? Forty-seven times seems excessive.”_

_“—one.”_

_Alpha-17 barely heard it. “Come again?”_

_Kenobi cleared his throat. “It’s been fifty-one, Alpha. She got a few in when you were still out. In the beginning.” He raged at that, rattling his chains, probably gracing the Jedi with his signature scowl. “And to answer your question, Alpha: there is a limit, but I wouldn’t worry about that. I’m probably far from the limit right now.”_

_He didn't like the implications of that. “Kriffing Jedi.”_

_“Ah ah,” Kenobi responded. “Not a Jedi power. For once.” He snickered at Alpha-17’s disgruntled look. “This collar,” he tilted his head, “is force-suppressing. We’d have gotten out of here much earlier if it wasn’t.”_

“I hate it, Seventeen.” Cody’s admission was quiet, broken, muffled by the wall as he leaned his forehead against the cold plasteel. Alpha-17 let him go, resting a hand on the back of his neck, brushing aside the sweaty locks, staying at his back.

“What good am I if—” He swallowed thickly. “If I can’t protect my general?”

_He looked at Kenobi blankly. “Immortality, sir?” Kenobi looked at him sideways, resting his head on the back of his chair. He looked terrible._

_“I could be joking, Alpha.”_

_He huffed. “As if. I may not know anything about Jedi poodoo but I do know the limits of the human body.” He took in the Jedi’s condition. “And you should be long dead by now.”_

_Kenobi chuckled humorlessly. “That I should,” he agreed._

“You need to call him out on his banthashit.”

_“With all due respect, sir, how are you sane?”_

_“Am I?” He tipped his head off the backrest to meet his gaze. “How are you?”_

_He scowled. “Enough of the mind games. I’m not the one getting murdered on an hourly basis.” It was more frequent than on an hourly basis, but still._

_Kenobi shrugged. “I’m not the one watching the same person get killed over and over again.” Alpha-17 gave him his most severe look. It was usually enough to scare the cadets into behaving. He sighed. “If I must be truthful—”_

_“And you should,” he interrupted._

_“You are possibly the only reason I still have my… mental faculties,” he finished._

“You need to be there for him, even if you’re powerless.”

_“But sir,” he protested. “I’ve done_ nothing _.”_

_“I wouldn’t be too certain about that. You’re a good man, Alpha.” He tilted his head back again, catching the water droplets as they fell from the pipe above him. “You give me reason to keep trying.” The collar fizzled with electricity, making him grunt in pain. He breathed deeply, eyes screwed shut, collecting himself. Alpha-17’s binders fell off his wrists with a clatter, landing on the floor in a heap. Kenobi gave him a mischievous grin._

“You need to be his reason to keep going.”

_“Ready to go home, Alpha?”_

Cody shuddered under his touch, fists clenched tightly, tears streaming silently down his face.

“He’s a good one.”

Alpha-17 turned him around to face him.

“We’re just clones, but Kenobi doesn’t kriffin’ care.” He stepped away, satisfied with what he saw. “You need to have his back.”

Cody scrubbed the tear tracks off his face, meeting his eyes, determination set in his jaw. Alpha-17 smiled. He was always a stubborn one.

“Are your orders clear, commander?”

Cody saluted him.

“Yes sir.”

"Good." He clapped Cody’s shoulder, turning him to the door.

“Then let’s go find your general.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Tumblr [@a-mediocre-succulent,](https://a-mediocre-succulent.tumblr.com) come yell at me!


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